SHAMROCK

STRATFORD SHAMROCK

12-13 March 2022

DEADLINE

7 Mar 2022

ELIGIBILITY

Open to middle and high school novices only

PLATFORM

Online through NSDA Campus

Information

We are happy to once again host the Stratford shamrock tournament which will be featuring Novice LD and PF rounds and Congressional rounds on Saturday. All Speech events will be on Sunday. This tournament is an excellent opportunity for your novice competitors! We plan on live streaming debate and speech finals.

EVENTS
We are allowing for double entry between Debate and Speech events. If a student wants to enter LD, or PF, they may also enter up to 2 speech events. If students would like to double-enter in Speech events, we will have a protocol for students to enter a maximum of 2 Speech events. Students double-entered will need to speak first, and then they must transfer to their other room to finish out the round.

The debate judge pool will be combined at this tournament, so we will not guarantee that judges will stick to a single format throughout the event. Judges, please read the judging materials below prior to the event to help prepare yourselves for the tournament.

Debate
We will continue to have Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas formats. This is a novice tournament, so middle-school and high-school novice competitors only, please. While this is a Novice tournament, we will not use the Novice topics for either event.

Lincoln-Douglas
Lincoln-Douglas will use the March-April 2022 Topic. Competitors are not permitted to do live research during rounds. All competitors must be prepared to provide cards to judges & opponents at the start of each round to streamline cross and minimize the ability to spontaneously look up information mid-round.

Public Forum
Public Forum will also use the March 2022 topic. Again, students are not permitted to do live research during rounds. All competitors must be prepared to provide cards to judges & opponents at the start of each round to streamline cross and minimize the ability to spontaneously look up information mid-round.

Speech
We are hosting Original Oratory and Duo Interpretation (subject to change) again this tournament, along with Expository, Dramatic Interpretation, Impromptu, and Humorous Interpretation. Any category with fewer than 10 entries will not participate in the live finals; they will be ranked and receive their results via tabroom. The regular 10-minute maximum times will be in place for these events.

All competitors may enter in up to two (2) Speech events, even if they are already entered in one of the debate formats, as Speech will be asynchronous, and the Speech finals will not coincide with the Debate finals. But, with the prospect of a live final, we do not want rounds delayed because of triple- or quadruple-entered competitors, so we are limiting Speech to double-entry only. Should a double-entered competitor reach multiple final rounds, that speaker will need to speak first in one event, and then they must transfer to the other room to speak last in their second event.

Speech events will not have a final round if the event category has fewer than ten (10) registered competitors.

We are hosting Original Oratory and Duo Interpretation (subject to change) again this tournament, along with Expository, Interpretation (Dramatic & Oratorical), and Humorous Interpretation. All prep times will conform to the standard times.

LOGISTICS
Competitors, coaches, and judges, please test your technology the week of the tournament, and have a back-up plan in the event of a power or internet outage.
All schedule times are subject to change. In order to respect everyone’s time, if we can move the event forward earlier (without trimming the length of the lunch break), we will attempt to do so. This requires, however, that judges be responsive and available if the round times move up.

We will fine missing judges. Competitors can accrue 1 forfeit loss. If they do not show up for a round after accruing one forfeit, we will drop them from the tournament in order to proceed in a timely fashion.

SPECTATING RULES
For logistical reasons, spectators will not be allowed in rounds. For the elimination rounds, we will provide live streams through YouTube so that competitors, coaches, family, and friends can watch the event. This will begin at the Semifinals for Debate, and the Finals for Speech.

TECH POLICY
No electronic communication is allowed within round with anyone outside the round.
Recording of any kind in a debate round is forbidden. You cannot record yourself, you cannot record your opponents, and you cannot observe a round and record it, with video or audio. Video recording of any kind, of any kind, even if it is by a parent, is not allowed, as it would also contain audio recordings of the debate arguments and other minors. There are many thorny legal issues in the state of California surrounding recording of others in private spaces, and especially of minors, without prior consent, so please, just don't. We reserve the right to disqualify and expel competitors for recording on either their part or their parents’.

REPORTING
Reporting violations is up to the coaches; if you receive notice from a competitor that there was illegal use of wifi, or someone recording in rounds, please note the room number, round number, event, and names of your competitors.

LATE-START AND FORFEITS
If your opponents do not show up within 15 minutes of the round's start time, please inform the help desk with your round type, section number, and team information. It is incumbent upon the team, or the coach, to report no-shows in order to receive a forfeit.

If a judge does not show up, either report it to the same phone number with the and round type, section number and tabroom will find a replacement judge and fine the team for the missing judge.

Entry Price

These fees assume that you (parent) will be judging:
LD only $75
LD + 1 Speech $95
LD + 2 Speech $115

PF only $75
PF + 1 Speech $95
PF + 2 Speech $115

One Speech Event $70
Two Speech Events $90

If you (parent) are OPTING OUT OF JUDGING and your child is doing speech only, you will pay an additional $70
If you (parent) are OPTING OUT OF JUDGING and your child is doing debate only, you will pay an additional $90
If you (parent) are OPTING OUT OF JUDGING and your child is doing speech and debate, you will pay an additional $140

Each person in a PF/Policy/Duo team would be responsible of providing their own judge, so one PF/Policy/Duo team would need to either provide two judges, both pay the judge fee, or one of each option.

Registration will not be complete until payment is received.
NOTE: We will charge set up fees if we have to create tabroom.com accounts for judges. It is recommended you do so on your own.

Schedule

Please note that all times are in PACIFIC STANDARD TIME (PST).

SATURDAY - DEBATE
round one Buffer 8:00-8:15am
LD Round One 8:15-9:15am
PF Round One 8:15-9:15am
Round Two Buffer 9:15-9:45am
Congress Round One 9:00am-11:00am
LD Round Two 9:45am-10:45am
PF Round Two 9:45-10:45am
Round three buffer 10:45-11:15am
LD Round three 11:15-12:15pm
PF Round Three 11:15-12:15pm
LUNCH 12:15-1:15pm
Congress Round Two 1:00pm-3:00pm
Round four buffer 1:15-1:30pm
LD Round Four 1:30-2:30pm
PF Round Four 1:30-2:30pm
Round Five Buffer 2:30-3:00pm
LD Round Five 3:00-4:00pm
PF Round Five 3:00-4:00pm
Congress Round Three 3:30-5:30pm
Round Six Buffer 4:00-4:30pm
LD Round Six 4:30-5:30pm
PF Round Six 4:30-5:30pm

SUNDAY - SPEECH
Speech round One 8:15am-9:15am
Buffer 9:15-9:45am
Speech round two 9:45-10:45am
Buffer 10:45-11:15am
Speech Round three 11:15-12:15pm
Lunch 12:15-1:15pm
Buffer 1:15-1:30pm
Speech Round Four 1:30-2:30pm
Buffer 2:30-3:00pm
Speech Round Five 3:00-4:00pm

Drop Fee

Drop fees will be the same amounts as the entry fee PLUS any fees the tournament charges us for late drops. Drop requests should be made to Victor and Nadia.

Please do not drop out last minute to avoid being charged these fees.

Contact Info

Victor Rivas Umana
Contact email: vrivasumana@tgsastaff.com
Nadia Budiman
Contact email: nbudiman@tgsastaff.com
Or info@tgsastaff.com

Registration Form

STUDENT INFORMATION

* Indicates required field

Student Name *

First

Last

Student Email (DO NOT USE PARENT'S EMAIL) *

Student Phone Number *

Does the student have a Tabroom account? *

Yes and it is linked with GSA's account(s) Yes but it is not linked and we need you to add to your roster No but I will create one before submitting registration No but I will pay the additional $35 setup fee

If this is your first time competing, make sure to first create a Tabroom account here: https://www.tabroom.com/user/login/new_user.mhtml
It's super simple and quick (<1 minute), but follow the guidelines here in case anything is confusing: https://docs.tabroom.com/Sign_Up

PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION
Your email address will be the one included when we send the logistics email.

Parent Name *

First

Last

Parent Email *

Parent Phone Number *

EVENT SELECTION

JUDGE PROVISION
Make sure you will be available to judge the entire tournament schedule.

Will you (parent) be judging at this tournament? *

Judge Name *

Judge email (Must be linked to a tabroom account. Register first at tabroom.com before completing this sign up) *

Judge phone *

Does your judge understand that he/she is responsible for the entire tournament schedule and that missing a round incurs fines from the tournament? *

Yes, understood Not judging but understood as well

Does your judge have a Tabroom account? *

Yes No but I will create one before submitting registration No but I'll pay the additional $35 setup fee Not judging

Have you entered your child's Tabroom email into your personal conflict section on your Tabroom account? *

Yes No, but I will do it now. I understand that failure to do this may result in the tournament charging me a fine. Not judging

Click here to complete the highly recommended Cultural Competency judge training course

Signing up a judge without having a Tabroom account will result in us charging you for the set up fee.
You can do this easily on your own by going to tabroom.com. It literally takes less than a minute.

First time judging? Click here to learn how to do it! Or watch our Youtube playlist here.
There are also these training cards available that include a summary of each event's rules and comments.

Tournaments encourage judges to have a paradigm on their Tabroom account, which can be a few sentences on your preferences of debating styles, etc. See here for example. It doesn't need to be this long, but make sure to add something before you sign up. For example: "I am a parent, please speak clearly and slowly and avoid technical jargon".

More tournament resources can be found here.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

I will keep a copy of this form for reference. *

YES

We are signing up with the understanding that my child will work to be ready by the tournament date. If we choose to drop out because my child is not ready that will be considered when making assessments for future classes. *

YES

I understand that if I fail to drop the tournament before the deadline that I will still be responsible for the fees of both my son or daughter, along with that of his or her partner and the fines. *

YES

I understand that if payment is not received we won't be registered and our spot will be given up to someone else. *

YES

I confirm that I have completed all necessary paperwork for this tournament. *

YES

I understand that The Golden State Academy has no control over tournament entries other than the initial sign up. I understand that my child's priority will be based on either the last time I signed up OR the date paid, whichever is latest. *

YES

I understand that my child must check in and check out periodically at the tournament with the coach and that if I do not my child will be barred from participating in following tournaments. This is to ensure coaches can see where students are at competitively and to give any initial feedback for improvement. *

YES

I understand that I can check my entry status through tabroom.com. *

YES

I am a consenting adult. I understand that by submitting this form I agree to all that has been covered. *

YES

Submit/take to payment

We would love to have you visit soon at one of our open houses.
Check our home page for the schedule!

School year Hours

M-F: 3:45 pm - 8:30 pm
Sun: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Telephone

510-270-8480
510-470-0531

Email (preferred)

For more info email us at: info@tgsastaff.com

Locations

Fremont: 200 Brown Rd #201, Fremont, CA 94539

Cupertino: 20432 Silverado Avenue Suite 211, Cupertino, CA 95014

Aborn Institute: 2804 Riedel Road, San Jose, CA 95135

Loving Tree Academy: 36601 Newark Blvd, #83, Newark, CA 94560